Aratere Ferry: Passengers Stranded – Electrical Fault
- The Interislander aratere ferry, already facing retirement, suffered a propulsion drive failure, leaving passengers stranded for hours.
- The problem was resolved around 1 a.m., and the vessel resumed its journey, arriving in Wellington around 5 a.m. Thursday.
- KiwiRail is working to rebook affected passengers on alternative sailings.
The Aratere ferry breakdown stranded passengers in the Cook Strait after an electrical fault crippled its propulsion system. passengers endured hours of delay as the Interislander ferry, en route from Picton to Wellington, experienced a critical failure.KiwiRail scrambled to address the issue,canceling subsequent sailings for thorough inspections. This incident comes as the Aratere nears retirement at the end of August. The vessel’s propulsion drive failure highlighted the critical role of the Aratere, handling both passengers and rail freight. This incident caused major disruptions for travelers. News Directory 3 is reporting on the unfolding situation. Discover what the investigation reveals about the future of Cook Strait crossings.
Aratere Ferry Breakdown Strands Passengers in Cook Strait
Updated June 12, 2025
The Interislander aratere ferry, already facing retirement, suffered a propulsion drive failure, leaving passengers stranded for hours. The incident occurred Wednesday night as the ferry sailed from Picton to Wellington. KiwiRail reported the ferry departed Picton around 8:50 p.m. but soon encountered an “unexpected issue.”
The problem was resolved around 1 a.m., and the vessel resumed its journey, arriving in Wellington around 5 a.m. Thursday. Though, subsequent sailings at 6:15 a.m. from Wellington to picton and 11 a.m. from Picton to Wellington were canceled for further testing. A 4 p.m. sailing was also later canceled.
KiwiRail is working to rebook affected passengers on alternative sailings. Passengers can reschedule without incurring extra costs if the alternative options are unsuitable. The company apologized for the inconvenience caused by the Aratere ferry breakdown.
Seven commercial vehicle drivers and four foot passengers were aboard the ferry during the hours-long delay. A specialist electrician was called to the scene while the vessel was anchored.
Duncan Roy, Interislander executive general manager, explained that a component powering the ship’s engine failed. “Normally when thes things trip you can reset them but this one didn’t so they went through a series of logical checks and got it back into a controlled state,” Roy said.
Roy assured that the ferry was never in danger and maintained at least 50 percent power throughout the incident. The canceled sailings allowed for a thorough investigation of the issue, which Roy anticipated would be resolved thursday.
This incident follows another electrical fault in April involving a hydraulic pump, which led to the cancellation of a Wellington to Picton crossing and its return journey.
The Aratere, which ran aground last year in Titoki Bay due to an autopilot error, is slated for retirement at the end of August. The vessel, capable of carrying 650 passengers, 230 cars, and 28 rail wagons, is Interislander’s only rail-enabled ferry. Its retirement is linked to the construction of new port infrastructure in Picton.
Rail Minister Winston Peters stated that keeping the Aratere in service would cost $120 million. “We will not waste one tax dollar on shuffling infrastructure to keep the vessel in service for the sake of it or add any infrastructure risk to our objective of completion in 2029,” Peters said when announcing the retirement.
What’s next
KiwiRail engineers are working to determine the exact cause of the propulsion drive failure and implement necessary repairs to restore full service. The long-term plan involves replacing the Aratere with two new rail-enabled ferries by 2029.